Benefits to a Dog-Friendly Workplace
Work can feel like it just drags on some days, can’t it? And then you think of how your pup is sitting at home all by themselves, bored out of their mind all day. Wouldn’t you much rather be spending time with them than have to be at work all day? Well, we all have to pay the bills somehow, so that’s just not possible, but what if you could be with your dog while also working at the same time? Dog-friendly workplaces allow you to do just that!
Imagine your current office, but with dogs! Sounds great, right? And no, it’s not too good to be true. Companies across the country are implementing the relatively new idea into their workplaces and seeing incredible results by doing so. Well-known companies such as Amazon, Google, Salesforce, and Ticketmaster are just a few giants that allow their employees to bring their beloved dogs to work.
Why Having Dogs in the Workplace Can Be a Good Thing
Just like in any job, things can quickly get stressful — whether it’s because you’re working on a complex project, dealing with a difficult client, or just having to pick up extra work due to a busier time of year. Stress has been proven to cause negativity in the workplace, which can just lead to even more stress, causing a snowball effect.
Companies that have tried experimenting with dog-friendly workplaces have reported positive feedback, stating that pets in the office allow them to get through long workdays happily, improving overall morale, employee attendance, and a better work-life balance.
Having dogs in the workplace can be a great reminder for people to take breaks throughout the day and to take a breather from potential problems or issues they may be encountering in their work, which could lead to an increase in stress. Taking a dog for a walk or even just playing around with a puppy for a couple of minutes can immediately improve a person’s mood, allowing them to attack their workload with a fresh and re-energized mind. It’s extremely important to not get too overworked in the workplace, as consistently overworking oneself can lead to long term health problems, both physical and mental.
Have you ever played with a dog and not had a smile on your face? It’s doubtful. Interaction with dogs allows for workplaces to have light-hearted and flexible environments that employees appreciate. This also allows employees to feel comfortable, thus promoting better communication between team members. You also get the occasional chuckle when DoDo, your manager’s pup winds up tripping over himself as he’s trying to fetch the ball he was just thrown.
Studies have proven that dogs are able to provide us with a feeling of calmness, as well as reduce blood pressure, and lower stress levels — all of which are positive impacts.
How Dogs Can Help Increase Productivity in the Workplace
On the long list of benefits that dogs provide, their presence can actually also increase the level of productivity in the workplace. The presence of dogs in the workplace leads to better communication between co-workers, which in turn leads to an increase in the level of trust employees have with one another. Trust is considered a key element when it comes to sustaining an effective and efficient workplace. The better individuals get along with one another, the more likely they are to be productive in their daily tasks, resulting in a well-run business, and well-run businesses are a great place to work!
The benefits listed above, such as improved overall morale, increased employee attendance, better work-life balance and a decrease in stress have all proven to significantly improve overall productivity. Simply put, when you’re happy at work and don’t constantly feel stressed out, the likelihood of you being able to get your work done in an efficient manner significantly increases.
Tips for Successfully Integrating Dogs into the Workplace
As you can see, there are some incredibly beneficial reasons in favor of dog-friendly workplaces. With that being said, incorporating a dog into the workplace isn’t exactly a stroll through the park. It’ll take some time to achieve and there are some important things to consider, but once you get everything figured out, be ready to reap the benefits! Here are some tips for successfully integrating dogs into your workplace.
When incorporating a new change such as a dog-friendly workplace, the right steps should be taken in order to ensure a healthy environment for everyone involved. This begins by communicating with your team and figuring out whether anyone has any serious allergies or fear of dogs that would result in a dog-friendly workplace being an issue. Once that’s been established, you can move onto establishing a list of criteria that must be checked off when it comes to approving dogs that would be allowed to come to work.
This list should begin with the maintenance of good hygiene. If animals are welcome in the office, or whatever your workplace may be, they should be clean and well-groomed, meaning they have no ticks or fleas and don’t carry a noticeable odor. In order to be eligible to come to work, dogs’ vaccinations should be kept up-to-date and any dogs with possibly contagious medical conditions or diseases should remain at home.
There should be an evaluation period that determines whether or not a dog is capable of being brought into work. This evaluation should entail items such as the ability to remain calm in a workplace environment without disrupting workflow or daily functions, the ability to get along with other dogs, and friendliness with other people. If a dog is too rambunctious and cannot remain calm, the previously mentioned benefits of dog-friendly workplaces get canceled out.